FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM 

PUBLICATION   10. 
ORNITHOLOGICAL  SERIES  Vol.    i,  No.   i. 


CONTRIBUTION 


TO  THE 


ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO 


GEORGE  K.  CHERRIE, 
Assistant  Curator  of  Ornithology. 

CHARLES  B.  CORY,  Curator  of  Department. 


CHICAGO,  U.  S.  A. 
March,    1896. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  MUSEUM. 


For  the  convenience  of  scientific  workers  it  has  been  deemed 
expedient  to  issue  the  publications  of  the  Museum  in  separate  series 
for  each  of  the  sciences  represented.  The  following  series  thus  far 
have  been  established  :  Historical,  Geological,  Botanical,  Zoological, 
Ornithological  and  Anthropological. 

A  consecutive  number  has  been  given  the  entire  set  of  pub- 
lications to  indicate  the  order  of  issue.  Each  departmental  series, 
however,  has  its  own  volume  number  and  individual  consecutive 
pagination,  making  the  literature  of  the  science,  or  general  subject, 
independent  and  complete  for  separate  binding;  or  they  may  be 
bound  in  order  of  publication  Without  relation  to  subject.  Proceed- 
ings, memoirs,  monographs,  bulletins,  and  hand-books  and  catalogues 
of  collections,  are  included  within  the  scope  of  the  publications. 

Full  lists  of  the  publications  of  the  Museum  may  be  found  in  the 
Annual  Report  of  the  Director. 

Publications  are  sent  to  societies  and  institutions  of  a  public 
character  that  reciprocate  with  their  own  literature,  and  to  a  limited 
number  of  scientists  who  are  able  to  exchange. 

FREDERICK  J.  V.  SKIFF, 

Director. 


CONTRIBUTION  TO  THE  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO.* 

BY  GEORGE  K.  CHERRIE 

Under  instructions  to  make  a  collecting  trip  to  San  Domingo 
during  the  winter  of  1894-95,  I  embarked  from  New  York,  Decem- 
ber 22,  on  a  Clyde  boat  for  the  tedious  voyage  to  Santo  Domingo 
City,  off  which  port  I  arrived  January  8,  1895. 

.  Steaming  slowly  into  the  mouth  of  the  Ozama  River  we  pass 
close  under  the  historic  frowning  walls  of  the  old  fort — built  to  guard 
and  protect  the  "new  city" — and  where  in  1500  Columbus  and  his 
brother  Bartholomew  ^ere  imprisoned.  Following  the  river  front 
and  joined  to  the  fort  is  the  old  wall  of  the  city  almost  intact.  Then 
loom  up,  desolate  and  forsaken,  the  gray  walls  of  the  one  time  palace 
of  luxury,  the  seat  of  elegance,  of  oriental  ease  and  refinement,  the 
home  of  Diego  Columbus — today  overgrown  with  moss  and  lichens. 
Small  trees  and  shrubs  have  found  a  foot-hold  in  the  crevices  of  roof 
and  wall;  pigeons  find  a  nesting  place  and  hoards  of  bats  a  safe 
retreat  from  the  light  of  day. 

Custom  inspection  of  my  outfit  was  rather  tedious  and  annoying 
but  I  was  finally  safely  on  the  island  with  my  belongings.  Prepara- 
tions for  the  interior  journey  began.  Coffee,  sugar,  rice  and  beans 
constituted  the  bulk  of  the  provisions.  Once  outside  of  the  city,  there 
are  no  roads  and  everything  must  be  transported  by  pack  animals  or  on 
men's  backs.  I  purchased  two  horses.  I  secured  the  services  of  an 
old  negro  as  guide  and  servant.  On  the  morning  of  the  igth  of  Janu- 
ary I  was  off  for  the  hills.  My  guide  walked  behind  driving  the  ani- 
mal loaded  with  the  provisions,  cooking  utensils,  blankets  and  ham- 
mock. I  rode  ahead  seated  between  two  small  trunks — containing 
light  wooden  trays  for  the  bird  skins — with  cotton,  skinning  tools  and 
gun  supplies,  which  were  strapped  to  my  own  animal.  I  followed  a 
northwesterly  direction,  on  leaving  San  Domingo,  over  the  hills  and 
through  the  little  old  historic  town  of  San  Carlos,  just  beyond  the 
walls  of  the  capital,  and  then  over  a  smooth  road  without  hills  but 

*  I  would  wish  here  to  express  my  sincere  thanks  for  many  favors  received  at  the  hands 
of  Archibald  H.  Grimke,  American  Consul  in  San  Domingo,  a  gentleman  who  holds  America  and 
Americans'  interests  paramount,  who  seems  to  feel  he  represents  a  great  nation  and  a  great  people 
and  sustains  the  dignity  of  that  people  by  a  manly  self-respect  and  dignity  commanding  the  highest 
esteem  from  his  own  countrymen  and  from  those  among  whom  he  is  thrown. 

3 


4  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.  i. 

that  gradually  yet  steadily  carried  me  to  a  higher  altitude.  For  seven 
hours  under  a  burning  sun  along  the  divide  between  the  rivers  Jaina 
and  Izabel  and  in  that  distance  and  time  not  one  drop  of  water  is 
seen. 

All  along  the  road — all  through  this  part  of  the  country  there  is 
a  considerable  population,  yet  just  where  to  find  a.  house  one  can 
never  tell.  The  road  we  followed  is  merely  a  well-worn  path — there 
are  no  carts  or  wagon  roads  in  San  Domingo;  all  freighting  is  done 
by  pack  mules,  and  here  and  there  you  see  paths,  only  a  little  less 
well  worn,  leading  to  this  side  or  that.  If  one  of  these  paths  be  fol- 
lowed it  will  usually  be  found  to  terminate  at  some  sort  of  human 
habitation. 

A  good  many  people  were  passed  along  the  road  but  the  only 
thing  characteristic  about  those  I  met  was  the  huge  pipe  the  women 
all  carry.  It  is  here  the  women  seem  to  be  the  inveterate  smokers 
and  a  pipe  is  preferred. 

After  the  first  seven  hours'  ride  I  crossed  a  small  stream,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Izabel.  After  that  the  country  becomes  more  broken  and 
one  climbs  faster.  Up  to  this  point  there  had  been  no  forest  and 
trees  were  only  seen  in  scattering  clusters,  far  to  the  right  or  left  in 
direction  of  either  the  Jaina  or  the  Izabel.  Now  the  clumps  of  trees 
marking  the  water  course  became  more  common  and  soon  we  entered 
the  forest,  fringing  the  foothills  of  the  mountains. 

I  made  Catare  my  head-quarters  from  January  21  to  February  6 
and  later  from  March  2  to  March  7.  It  is  at  an  altitude  of  about 
1,500  feet,  just  in  the  foothill  of  the  central  mountain  range,  north- 
west of  San  Domingo  City. 

During  the  years  spent  in  Central  America  I  constantly  wondered 
why  any  one  could  ever  speak  of  the  birds  of  the  tropics  as  being 
voiceless  or  songless ;  but  my  experience  at  Catare  and  in  San 
Domingo  in  general  gave  me  abundant  solution  of  the  problem,  and 
if  the  popular  notion  of  the  songlessness  of  birds  of  the  tropics  comes 
from  observations  made  in  the  West  Indies,  I  can  easily  understand 
how  well  it  was  founded.  At  Catare,  where  I  did  my  first  collecting, 
the  most  striking  peculiarity  to  me  about  the  region  was  the  utter 
silence  of  the  forest.  I  would  walk  for  hours  and  scarce  hear  a  bird 
note.  Birds  were  common  enough,  but  in  the  semi-twilight  of  the 
forest  they  flitted  noiselessly  from  branch  to  branch,  restless  and 
active,  searching  for  their  insect  prey;  but  all  the  time  not  a  note  or 
piping  sound  broke  their  silence.  In  the  open  savannas  and  along  the 
edges  of  the  forest  the  mocking  birds  are  almost  always  singing,  but 
the  forest  itself  is  silent — save  on  those  rare  occasions  when  that 


MAR.  1896.     ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO — CHERRIE.  5 

wood-spirit,  the  Myiadestes,  sets  every  nerve  a-tingling  with  pleasure, 
but  the  Myiadestes  are  rare  as  their  songs. 

It  may  not  be  without  interest  to  present  a  few  notes  from  my 
journal  regarding  one  of  my  excursions  from  Catare,  which  pretty 
well  illustrates  the  difficulties  one  encounters  in  traveling  through  the 
country. 

Leaving  Catare  early  in  the  morning  I  took  my  way  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Yuna.  The  road  shortly  after  passing  the  Jaina  River  became 
something  awful — it  never  could  have  been  very  good,  but  the  storm 
of  the  previous  September  (1894)  blew  a  great  many  trees  across  the 
path,  and  these  had  not  been  cleared  away.  Frequently  I  would 
have  to  assist  my  guide  and  the  two  of  us  would  cut  a  path  with  our 
"  machetes  "  for  the  pack  animals.  What  shiftlessness  one  sees  every- 
where. Wherever  the  road  leads  through  the  forest  one  wades  in 
mud  to  the  knees  and  in  places  the  poor  horses  with  the  packs 
plunged  and  pitched  terribly  as  they  struggled  up  some  bank  out  of 
the  many  small  streams  that  we  crossed.  Yet  only  a  very  little 
work  would  be  required  to  make  good  roads. 

The  road  follows  up  the  course  of  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the 
Jaina  (the  Guananito),  crossing  and  recrossing.  In  the  way  several 
savannas  are  crossed — bits  of  grass-grown  prairies  that  would  afford 
pasturage  for  a  great  many  cattle.  The  timber  lands  would  all  prove 
good  for  farming  when  cleared.  There  are  many  splendid  woods,  and 
as  we  climbed  higher  in  the  mountains,  after  leaving  the  direct  course 
of  the  river,  we  found  that  pines  multiplied  rapidly  and  formed  the 
greater  part  of  the  trees  of  the  forest. 

On  this  excursion  I  secured  the  type  specimen  of  Elainea  cherriei 
and  my  first  examples  of  Corvus  leucognaphalus,  Amazona  scilicet,  Blaci- 
cus  hispaniolensis,  Tyrannus  dominicensis,  Spindalis  multicolor  and  Eue- 
thea  lepida. 

February  6,  my  supplies  of  all  kinds  being  about  exhausted  and 
my  packing  cases  for  skins  full,  I  began  my  first  return  trip  to  San 
Domingo  City. 

After  a  short  rest  and  a  little  collecting  about  San  Domingo  City, 
I  again  took  the  road  for  the  interior,  back  through  Catare,  up  and 
across  the  central  mountain  range  and  down  to  the  head  waters  of  the 
Vuerto  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Maimon,  which  latter  empties  into  the 
Yuna.  Here  at  a  point  called  Aguacate  I  stopped  from  February  20 
to  February  28.  It  is  just  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  divide  on  the 
northern  slope  of  the  range  separating  the  high  plains  and  prairie 
table  lands  of  the  interior  from  the  Caribbean  slope. 

My  guide  and  servant  became  now  only  a  burden  to  me,  being  so 


6  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.    i. 

sick  with  fever  that  he  could  not  walk.  I  started  back  toward  Santo 
Domingo  City,  but  on  the  morning  of  March  2,  arriving  at  Catare,  I 
found  it  would  be  impossible  to  continue  without  giving  him  a  rest. 
On  March  7  my  packing  cases  were  overflowing  with  bird  skins  and 
the  guide  being  a  little  better  I  made  another  start  cityward. 

A  few  days'  collecting  about  San  Domingo  City,  a  laying  in  of 
a  fresh  supply  of  provisions  and  materials,  the  securing  of  my  third 
guide  and  servant,  and  I  was  once  more  ready  for  the  road. 

A  day's  travel  westward  from  the  capital  through  a  rather  barren 
region,  but  one  pretty  well  populated,  carried  me  to  the  busiest,  or 
least  somnolent,  of  the  inland  towns  on  the  Caribbean  slope.  San 
Cristobal  is  located  on  the  Nigua  River  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Barbacoa 
rather  pleasantly  situated,  comparatively  a  clean  place  and  a  light- 
colored  population. 

Excursions  were  made  in  various  directions  about  San  Cristobal, 
to  the  summit  of  Mount  Barbacoa — about  7,000  feet  altitude — where 
is  to  be  found  the  crumbling  remains  of  the  walls  of  an  old  fort,  and 
to  the  caves  in  the  sides  of  the  mountain  called  El  Calabosa. 

I  would  scarcely  know  how  to  describe  these  caves.  There  is  no 
grandeur  about  them  and  little  of  beauty.  They  are  only  "  immense. " 
In  going  through  them,  one  moment  the  passage  narrows  until  you 
can  barely  squeeze  through;  again  one  must  get  down  on  hands  and 
knees  and  crawl,  then  farther  on  the  passage  may  widen  into  an 
immense  vaulted  chamber. 

In  only  one  of  the  many  caves  or  series  of  chambers  entered  were 
bats  at  all  common.  This  chamber  called  Cuervo  de  los  Murcielagos 
(cave  of  the  bats)  was  inhabited  by  thousands  upon  thousands  of 
these  symbols  of  the  diabolical.  When  they  were  disturbed  by  our 
entrance,  and  by  my  firing  several  shots,  the  noise  made  by  the  count- 
less wings  gave  one  as  a  first  sensation  the  peculiar  feeling  attendant 
on  a  slight  earthquake  shock.  The  floor  of  this  chamber  was  covered 
with  a  thick  layer  of  manure.  Two  species  of  bats  were  found  inhab- 
iting these  caves,  and  a  Roof  Rat  was  shot  far  from  the  entrance  in 
another.* 

I  spent  a  night  on  Mount  Barbacoa  at  the  rancho  of  a  "peon"  and 
here  met  with  hospitality  for  the  first  time  in  the  island.  When  I 
offered  tp  pay  for  my  night's  lodging  I  was  surprised  at  being  told  I 
owed  only  su  buena  voluntad  de  U!  (only  your  good  wishes!) 

At  this  point  my  guide  was  taken  sick  and  I  was  delayed  for  a 
few  days,  but  securing  another  man  I  was  again  on  the  road  March 

*A  list  of  the  mammals  collected  on  the  expedition  will  be  published  by  Prof.  D,  G,  Elliot,  of 
the  Field  Col.  Mus, 


MAR.  1896.      ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO — CHERRIE.  7 

28,  moving  farther  westward  in  the  road  to  Maniel  and  Loma  Tina, 
the  latter  the  highest  mountain  peak  in  the  West  Indies. 

After  leaving  San  Cristobal,  the  road  as  far  as  the  crossing  of  the 
Nisao  River  and  a  little  beyond,  winds  through  a  very  pleasant  coun- 
try, pretty  well  populated,  splendid  land  and  all  fairly  well  cultivated. 
Then  commences  a  barren  stretch  of  country,  with  no  vegetation 
except  scrub  timber,  and  a  very  scanty  population  until  one  reaches 
the  little  town  of  Bani.  Beyond  this  point  the  country  becomes  even 
more  barren  and  cheerless.  The  road  is  hemmed  in  with  giant  cacti, 
while  other  and  smaller  species  are  scattered  on  all  sides  in  greatest 
profusion.  The  road  itself  is  very  stony  and  rough,  but  not  very 
steep.  There  is  absolutely  no  water  along  this  road  and  one  travels 
for  .near  an  entire  day  over  a  dry,  sandy,  cacti-covered  desert.  We 
passed  one  little  village  called  Calabasa — a  collection  of  half  a  dozen 
houses — the  occupants  of  which  bring  their  water  for  miles. 

At  Honduras,  where  I  arrived  late  one  evening,  there  is  water. 
The  little  creek  Arroyo  Bahia  here  shows  itself  for  a  short  distance 
and  is  then  again  lost  in  the  sand  of  the  desert. 

I  collected  at  Honduras  from  March  29  to  April  2.  Here  I 
secured  the  two  first  specimens  of  Hyetornis  fieldi  Cory,  and  later  at 
Maniel  the  type  specimen.  Also  the  first  examples  of  Euphonia  musica 
I  met  with  were  secured  here.  Five  days  at  Honduras  and  my  record 
for  the  time  was  210  bird  skins. 

On  the  morning  of  April  3  I  started  northwestward  through  the 
hills  toward  Maniel,  far  up  in  the  mountains  near  the  head  of  the 
river  Ocoa.  It  is  a  very  rough  road  one  must  come  pver, — not  so 
much  for  the  hills  as  for  the  stones  and  boulders  that  one  must  get  over 
somehow.  For  the  greater  part  of  the  distance  the  road  follows  the 
bed  of  the  river,  walled  in  almost  as  a  canon.  I  crossed  the  river 
thirty-two  times  in  reaching  Maniel.  While  here  I  made  an  effort 
to  reach  Loma  Tina  but  was  unable  to  find  a  competent  guide, 
and  this  coupled  with  the  fact  that  I  found  all  paths  up  the  mountain 
completely  blocked  caused  me  to  abandon  the  idea.  I  remained  at 
this  point  for  six  days  and  then  having  my  packing  cases  full  started 
for  San  Domingo  City.  My  trip  to  Maniel  was  the  last  excursion 
made  to  any  considerable  distance  from  San  Domingo  City. 

From  the  localities  above  referred  to,  short  excursions  were  made 
into  the  surrounding  country  on  all  sides.  But  always  and  every- 
where I  went  I  found  travel  and  moving  from  one  point  to  another 
exceedingly  difficult,  attended  with  much  labor  and  inconvenience. 
Although  I  was  in  San  Domingo  during  the  "dry  season"  it  was  not 


8  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.  i. 

('  dry,"  and  I  think  it  rained  on  an  average  of  at  least  every  third  day 
during  my  stay.  The  roads,  if  cattle  paths  through  the  forests  over 
the  mountains  and  across  the  prairies  are  worthy  of  the  name,  were 
uniformly  bad. 

Throughout  the  interior  of  the  island  hospitality  is  an  almost  un- 
known virtue  among  the  people,  and  no  opportunity  to  impose  upon 
or  take  advantage  of  the  traveler  or  foreigner  is  permitted  to  pass. 


ANNOTATED   LIST  OF   BIRDS   COLLECTED, 


1.  Turdus    aliciae,  Baird. — Single  specimens   were  noted  on 
three  occasions;  twice  high  up  in  the  mountains — above  Aguacate — on 
the  22d  and   25th  of  February   and   one  at   San    Domingo  City, ,  on 
the  coast,  May  i.      All  were  males  and  extremely  fat. 

2.  Mimocichla    ardesiaca    (Vieill.*).      RUISENOR   DE    CIERRA  ; 
CANELO  —  Found    everywhere     on     the    coast    and    high  up    in    the 
interior.      Not     at    all    uncommon,    but     always    and    every-where 
found  it  was  very  shy  and  difficult   to  approach.      In  freshly  killed 
specimens  the    eye  is  red-brown,    eyelids,    bill,    feet  and  legs   light 
Indian  Red,  tip  of  bill  and  claws  dusky.     Thirty-five  specimens  were 
secured.      The  song  is  quite  similar  to  that  of  Merula  migratorius  and 
in   almost  every  action  recalls  to  one's  mind  the  American  Robin. 

3.  Myadestes    montanus  ?      Cory.     JILGUERO — This    species 
is   evidently  nowhere   common,    and  is    only   found  high    up  in  the 
mountains.      It  is  very  shy  and  retiring  in  its  habits.      The  natives 
are  almost  all  acquainted  with  the   song;  but  if  my  memory  serves 
me    rightly    I    did    not    meet   with    one    who  was   sure   he  had  ever 
seen  the  bird.      It  is  held  in  superstitious  fear  by  many,  who  believe 
that   to  see  this    ''spirit  of  the  wood"  were  surely  the  forerunner  of 
some  great  calamity,  or  death  itself.      Everyone  was  much  surprised 
that  I   could  shoot  the  bird,  they  believing  it  could  not   be  killed. 
Where  or  how  such  strange  beliefs   could   have   originated  I  have  no 
idea,  because  as  a  singer  the  Jilguero,  to  me,  stands  without  an  equal. 
Sweeter  music  I  never  listened  to.      It  has  an  indescribable   charm — 
notes   so  liquid— clear  as  a  bell,  and  drawn  out  with  such  a  cadence 
of  melody.      For  a  moment  the  sound   seems  to  come  from  this  way 
and  then  from  that,  and    ever  the  singer  holds  you  spell-bound:      Do 
you  seek  the  source  of  that  wondrous  voice,   it  ^s  all  in  vain.      There 
is  only  the  monotony  of  green  leaves  everywhere.      There  is  no  other 
sound   only  the  thrilling  of  every  chord  of  the   imagination  by  notes 
so   sweet  they  hold   you   enthralled.      It  is  indeed  a  "  spirit  "  of    all 
that  is  lovable,  of  all  that   is   good.      But   I   despair  of  writing  any 
description  of  a  song  so  beautiful,  or  of  the  sensations  or  thoughts  it 
inspires.  9 


io  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.    i. 

I  have  heard  the  song  at  early  morning,  at  midday  and  in  the 
evening.  At  Aguacate  where  I  secured  seven  of  the  ten  specimens 
collected,  the  mating  season  was  evidently  just  beginning.  On  two 
occasions  I  had  opportunity  of  watching  the  birds  while  busy  with 
their  love  affairs.  In  every  movement  and  action  they  brought  to 
mind  our  Bluebird,  when  in  the  same  happy  mood.  There  was  a 
like  peculiar  raising  and  flitting  of  the  wings,  evidently  a  joyousness 
of  spirit  that  would  not  be  controlled. 

In  a  freshly  killed  bird  the  eye  is  dark  brown,  legs  and  feet  yel- 
lowish, claws  dusky,  bill  black.  I  found  this  species  only  in  the 
deep  dark  forest,  never  in  the  open.  The  food  consists  of  both  fruit 
and  insects.  The  latter  are  often  taken  on  the  wing. 

Ten  specimens  were  secured  by  me,  three  from  Catare  and  seven 
from  Aguacate.  In  the  series  there  is  slight  yet  quite  noticeable 
individual  variation  in  the  shade  of  tawny  chestnut  on  the  under  tail 
coverts  and  crissum;  and  also  in  the  extent  of  this  color  over  the 
lower  parts.  In  one  of  the  specimens  from  Catare  the  color  is  con- 
fined almost  entirely  to  the  under  tail  coverts,  while  in  another  from 
Aguacate  the  entire  crissum  is  tawny  with  bits  of  color  extending 
over  the  breast  almost  to  the  chestnut  of  the  throat.  In  all  of  the 
speciments  there  is  a  faint  olive  shading  in  the  back — in  some  a  few 
olive-tipped  feathers.  These  olive-tipped  feathers  I  am  much  inclined 
to  think  are  remnants  of  the  first  plumage. 

All  of  my  San  Domingo  specimens  differ  considerably  from  the 
type  of  M.  montanus  from  Hayti,  more  in  fact  than  they  do  from  the 
Lesser  Antillian  form  M.  sanctce-lucia.  However  the  type  and  only 
example  of  M.  montanus  is  so  badly  mutilated  that  satisfactory  com- 
parison with  other  specimens  is  impossible,  and  while  the  differences 
are  apparently  of  such  character  as  to  warrant  a  separation,  making  an 
eastern  and  a  western  form  for  the  island,  the  absence  of  material  for 
adequate  comparison  from  Hayti  compels  me  to  merely  call  attention 
to  the  apparent  and  most  obvious  differences. 

M.  montanus  has  no  white  spot  on  the  chin,  and  the  rictal  streak 
is  pale  reddish-brown.  In  my  specimens  from  San  Domingo  the  chin 
and  the  rictal  streak  are  berth  white. 

4.  Minus  dominicus  (Lmn.).  RUISENOR — One  hundred  and 
five  specimens  of  this  mocking  bird  were  collected.  It  was  found  at 
almost  all  points  visited,  but  was  most  abundant  near  the  coast,  and 
apparently  has  a  preference  for  inhabited  neighborhoods. 

Several  broods  are  reared  each  season,  as  a"bout  San  Domingo 
City  I  secured  young  birds  just  from  the  nest  as  early  as  March  18 
and  as  late  as  May  2,  while  on  the  latter  date  a  female  was  collected 


MAR.  1896.     ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO — CHERRIE.  n 

while  in  the  act  of  carrying  nesting  material,  and  the  condition  of  the 
abdomen  indicated  that  she  had  been  brooding.  In  different  locali- 
ties the  nesting  season  varies,  and  I  imagine  must  be  in  great  part 
governed  by  the  food  supply  which  again  is  controlled  by  the  rains. 
At  Honduras,  during  the  last  days  of  March  and  the  first  of  April, 
nesting  had  not  yet  begun.  Honduras  lying  as  it  does  in  the  sandy 
cacti-covered  arid  belt  probably  depends,  more  than  other  localities, 
on  the  rains  for  the  awakening  of  its  insect  life. 

Adult  birds  in    life  have  the  eye  clay  yellow,  bill,  claws,  feet  and 
legs  black. 

5.  Mniotilta  varia.  (Linn.*) — Only  nine  specimens  were  secured 
.between  the    dates    of  January  22  and  April    21.      Not  at   any  time 

observed  to  be  common. 

6.  Compsothlypis    americana    (Linn.} — Eighteen    specimens 
were  secured.     Noted  at  all  points    visited  except  Maniel,  but    not 
seen  after  April  2. 

7.  Dendroica  tigrina  (Gmel.*) — Twenty-one  specimens.    Found 
at  all  points  visited,  but  none  seen  after  April  6. 

8.  Dendroica    caerulescens     (Gmcl.*) — Forty-nine     examples 
collected.      Found   at   all  points  visited  and  decidedly  the  most  com- 
mon of  the  North  American  birds. 

9.  Dendroica  coronata  (Linn.) — Not  common,  and  none  seen 
after  March  27. 

10.  Dendroica    discolor.    (Viei/l.) — Noted   between  the  dates 
of  February  13  and  April  2,  but  not  common  at  any  time. 

11.  Dendroica     palmarum      (Gmel.)  —  Tolerably      common 
between  the  i2th  of  February  and  the  ist  of  April. 

12.  Seiurus    aurocapillus    (Linn.)— Not   uncommon.     Found 
at  all  points  visited. 

13.  Seiurus    noveboracensis    (Gmel.) — Rare.     Seen    on    two 
occasions  only,  February  24  and  March  16.      This   is,  I    believe,  the 
first  record  from  San  Domingo. 

14.  Seiurus    motacilla  (Vieill.') — Rare.      Only   a   single   speci- 
men taken  January  22. 


12  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.    i. 

15.  Geothlypis     trichas    (Linn.] — None     were    noted     during 
January,  and  the  first  specimen  secured  was  on  February  2.      There 
was  a  steady  increase  in  numbers  until  the  middle  of  March  when 
the  species  might   have  been    said  to  be  common.     There    was    no 
appreciable  diminution    in    numbers  up    to  the    time  of  my  sailing, 
May  8. 

16.  Microligia    palustris     Cory. — Rare    and    apparently    not 
found  in   the  interior  or  on  the  higher  altitudes  of  the  coast  district. 
Frequents  the  dense  thickets,  preferably  about  the  swamps,  and  feeds, 
I  believe,  exclusively  on  insects,   in  its  search  for  which  the  actions 
much  resemble  those  of  a    Vireo.      If  the  bird  has  a  song  I  did  not 
hear   it,   and  the   only  voice  is   a  short  contented   "cheep,"   as  the 
little  hunter  goes  in  and  out  among  the   leaves.      It  is  not  at  all  shy, 
very   readily    approached.      A    breeding    female  was    taken    at    San 
Domingo  City,  April  30.      Altogether  eight  specimens  were  secured, 
five  from  San  Domingo  City  and  three  from  Honduras. 

17.  Setophaga  ruticilla  (Linn.} — Tolerably  common,  and  seen 
at  all  points  visited. 

18.  Coereba    bananivora    (Gmel.}— Common,  but    rather  shy 
and  not  readily  approached.      Found  on  the  coast  and  high  up  in   the 
mountains,   deep  in  the  forest  and  on  the  edges  of  clearings.      Has  a 
short  little   song  consisting  of  some  half  dozen  notes,  repeated  over 
and  over  in  the  same  order. 

I  found  this  species  nesting  at  San  Domingo  City,  February  15. 
Both  male  and  female  worked  at  carrying  nesting  material. 

In  the  series  of  forty-four  specimens  before  me  all  the  variations 
in  color  due  to  age  are  well  shown.  From  young  birds  that  are  above 
nearly  uniform  dusky  gray-brown,  with  yellowish  superciliary  stripe, 
and  soiled  olive  yellowish  below  with  a  bit  of  bright  yellow  in  center 
of  breast,  we  have  every  intergradation  to  the  fully  adult  plumage,  of 
dull  black  above,  white  superciliary,  dark  slate-gray  throat,  bright 
yellow  center  of  breast  and  abdomen  and  grayish  olive  sides. 

19.  Petrochelidon     fulva     (Vieill). — Quite     abundant      along 
the   coast   but   not   noted  in  the    interior.       At    San    Domingo    City 
breeding  birds  were  taken  as  early  as  April  24,  and  during   the   same 
week  nesting  seemed  to  be  at  its  height.      The  nests  were  all  being 
lined  with  the  soft  cottony-like  material  (called  in  Spanish  America 
"Balsamo"),  that  grows  in  catkins  and  surrounds  the  minute  seeds 
of  one  of  the  native  trees  of  the  country.     The  birds  were  going  and 


MAR.  1896.     ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO — CHERRIE.  13 

coming  after  this  material  in  a  continuous  stream.  Ordinarily  a 
mouthful  was  snatched  while  on  the  wing,  but  sometimes  the  birds 
would  alight  and  deliberately  take  all  they  could  conveniently  hold  in 
the  bill  and  then  fly  away.  The  males  accompanied  the  females,  but 
beyond  this  encouragement  seemed  to  give  no  other  aid  in  the  work. 

20.  Vireo    calidris  (Linn.~).     JULIAN  CHIVI — One    of   the   most 
abundant   species  met  with.      The  song  is  somewhat  like  that  of   the 
Red-eyed  Vireo.      One  hundred  and  forty-five  specimens  were  secured 
and  I  believe  all  are  typical  calidris. 

21.  Dulus  dominicus  (Linn.].     SIGUA  DE  PALMA — Gregarious 
and   abundant  at  almost  all  points  visited.      The  nests  are   tremen- 
dous affairs,   invariably  (?)  placed  in  the  tops  of  the  Royal  Palms, 
built  of  relatively  large   sticks   and  twigs.     A  number  of  females  use 
the  same  nests,  and  there  are  many  entrances  to  the  interior.      I  did 
not  have  opportunity  to  examine  a  nest   closely,  so  do  not   know  the 
internal  structure. 

22.  Euphonia  musica  (Gmel.} — Rare.     Eight  specimens  were 
taken  at    Honduras    and    one    at    Maniel.       Not  seen   at  any    other 
points.      Although    quite    conspicuous  for  its  colors  I  did  not  meet 
with  any  of  the  natives  who  had   ever  seen  the  bird.     I  did  not  hear 
the  song. 

23.  Spindalis  multicolor    (Vieill.} — Rare,   and  apparently  un- 
known to   the    natives.      Taken    and    observed    only    at    Catare    and 
Aguacate.      Four    adult   males,    two  adult    females   and    four  young 
males,  in  transition  plumage  from  that  of  the  female  to  that  of   the 
male,  constitute  the  list  of  specimens  collected.      All  the  specimens 
secured  by  me  were  taken  in  old  overgrown  clearings  where  the  birds 
were  feeding  on  some  sort  of  a  berry  that  was  ripe  at  the  time  (Janu- 
ary and  February). 

Young  males  resemble  the  females,  but  are  slightly  grayer  above 
and  lighter  below,  with  a  white  chin  and  throat.  In  assuming  the 
plumage  of  the  adult  male  the  feathers  of  the  crown  first  begin  to 
blacken,  the  white  throat  is  gradually  replaced  by  orange  yellow, 
while  brownish-chestnut  feathers  appear  on  the  gugulum,  and  the 
dusky  or  olive  grayish  feathers,  with  black  shaft  streaks,  of  the  breast 
are  crowded  out  by  orange  yellow  ones.  White  feathers  begin  to 
appear  and  form  a  superciliary  streak,  and  the  lores  and  auriculars 
together  with  the  patch  on  the  side  of  the  throat  grows  black.  In 
none  of  the  four  young  males  before  me  are  the  two  outer  pair  of 
rectrices  marked  with  white  as  in  the  adult. 


14  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.    i. 

The  adult  female  is  dusky  olive  green  above  shading  into  rather 
bright  yellowish  green  on  the  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts — this  yel- 
lowish green  color  is  not  perceptible  on  the  nape  as  it  is  in  females  of 
S.  portoricensis.  Below  ashy,  palest  on  lower  breast  and  abdomen, 
the  under  tail  coverts  whitish  and  all  bathed  with  a  yellowish  olive 
shading  and  indistinctly  streaked  with  dusky  brown.  The  outer  pair 
of  rectrices  are  edged  with  white  for  the  terminal  third  on  the  inner 
webs,  and  the  second  pair  are  tipped  with  the  same  color  on  the  inner 
webs.  There  is  no  sign  of  dull  yellow  on  the  breast  of  my  speci- 
mens. 

Birds  freshly  killed  have  the  eye  dark  brown;  feet  and  legs 
dusky  plumbeous;  claws,  maxilla  and  tip  of  the  mandible,  black;  base 
of  mandible,  plumbeous  black. 

24.  Phoenicophilus  palmarum    (Linn.}.      SIGUA   MAIMONERA; 
SIGUA   AMARILLA — Probably    the    most  abundant  species  to    be    met 
with    in    San    Domingo.      Two    hundred    and  twenty-one   specimens 
were    secured  with   representatives   from    all    the    localities    visited. 
However,  after  one   ascends   pretty  well   up  into  the  mountains  this 
bird  becomes  comparatively  rare.      I  found  this   species  chiefly  in  the 
forests    where  it  may  be    looked   for  with  equal  success  in  the  low 
bushes  or  high  up  among   the   tree  tops.      It  feeds  both  on  fruit  and 
insects.      It  has,    I   believe,   no   song,  but  a  somewhat  Cat-bird-like 
note  of  alarm. 

Females  resemble  the  males,  and  young  birds  are  similar  to  the 
adults,  except  that  the  black  of  the  head  is  replaced  by  dusky  grayish 
or  slate  color,  and  the  entire  head,  neck  and  breast  washed  with 
olive  yellowish. 

A  good  many  breeding  birds  were  taken,  but  I  was  not  fortunate 
in  finding  either  the  nest  or  eggs,  and  nothing  was  learned  of  the 
breeding  habits. 

25.  Calyptophilus  frugivorus,  Cory. — Rare,  seen  only  at  Agua- 
cate  where  three  specimens  were  secured,  two  males  and  a  female. 
It  may    have    been   less    rare   than    I    suspected,    because  for    some 
time    I    confounded    this    with    the  preceding   species.      Early  every 
morning  before   it  was  fairly  light  I  had  the  habit  of  going  down  to 
the  river,  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  where  I  had  my  camp,  and 
I    had    remarked  with  some  surprise    that  at  this    place  (Aguacate) 
Phoenicophilus  palmarum    seemed    to  have   a   pleasant  early   morning 
song.      In  the  gray  of  the  morning  I  had  noted  the  bird  in  the  bushes 
at  the  side  of  the  path,  but  always  mistook  it  for  palmarum,  until  on 
the  morning  of  February  26  something  prompted  me  to  commence 


MAR.  1896.      ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO — CHERRIE.  15 

my  collecting  earlier  than  usual.  The  result  was  that  when  I  picked 
up  my  specimen  I  recognized  I  had  Calyptophilus.  I  had  seen  and 
heard  the  bird  every  morning  prior  to  that  time,  and  three  were  taken 
on  that  date,  but  none  were  seen  afterward.  The  song  from  Calypto- 
philus  was  the  first  sound  to  herald  the  approach  of  day  (the  mock- 
ing bird  did  not  begin  his  song  for  half  or  three-quarters  of  an  hour 
later),  but  once  the  sun  was  fairly  up  that  song  was  hushed  until 
another  day. 

In  none  of  the  three  specimens  is  there  any  sign  of  a  yellow  spot 
in  the  center  or  on  the  sides  of  the  breast. 

26.  Pyrrhulagra  violacea  (Linn.}  —  CHICHIGUA;  SIGUA  NEGRA; 
SIGUA  PRIETA.  Tolerably  common  at  San  Domingo  City,  Catare 
and  Aguacate,  but  not  noted  at  the  other  localities  visited.  Seventy- 
five  specimens  were  taken,  forty-seven  of  these  were  males,  twenty- 
seven  were  females  and  one  in  which  the  sex  was  not  determined. 

Referring  to  the  females  of  this  species,  Professor  Cory  remarks 
(Auk,  Vol.  VIII,  1891,  p.  296),  that  they  assume  "a  black  plumage 
similar  to  the  males."  And  later,  Mr.  W.  E.  D.  Scott  in  his 
"  Observations  on  the  Birds  of  Jamaica  "  (Auk,  Vol.  X,  1893,  p.  180), 
says,  "In  a  large  series  before  me  there  are  many  females  quite  as 
brightly  colored  as  the  more  intense  males,  and  indistinguishable 
from  that  sex  in  its  highest  plumage  by  any  external  features  of  color 
or  appearance."  With  both  of  these  statements  I  concur  in  the  main, 
but  in  my  series  there  are  thirty-two  males  and  nine  females  in  the 
black  dress.  I  do  not  think  the  brighest  colored  female  compares  on 
the  back  with  the  least  richly  glossy  back  among  the  males.  Neither 
does  the  chestnut  of  the  throat  seem  so  extended  in  the  females. 
However,  these  are  only  very  minor  differences,  and  the  birds  in  the 
field  are  indistinguishable. 

I  have  ten  males  and  twelve  females  in  mixed  plumage,  varying 
from  birds  in  an  almost  completely  black  dress  to  others  having  only 
a  few  scattering  black  feathers  about  the  head.  There  are  five  males 
and  six  females  not  showing  any  black  in  plumage.  Some  of  these 
have  a  russet  throat  patch  pretty  well  developed.  In  one  of  the 
males  in  mixed  plumage,  the  chestnut  feathers  of  the  throat  are 
all  black  tipped.  The  throat  and  under  tail  coverts  in  both  males 
and  females  in  the  black  dress  are  a  bright  chestnut.  Birds  in  mixed 
dress  usually  have  the  throat  a  trifle  paler,  approaching  nearer  to  a 
russet,  but  becomes  more  chestnut  and  brighter  in  proportion  as  the 
black  extends  through  the  plumage.  The  color  of  both  the  throat 
(if  the  patch  is  yet  at  all  developed)  and  the  under  tail  coverts  in 
specimens  without  any  black  in  the  plumage  is  pale  russet. 


1 6  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.    i.     . 

The  under  tail  coverts  do  not  begin  to  become  chestnut  until  the 
general  plumage  is  black.  The  russet  supra  loral  streak  and  under 
tail  coverts,  apparently  are  characters  from  the  nestling  plumage. 

Two  breeding  females  were  taken  April  21  and  29;  one  is  in  the 
black  dress  and  one  in  mixed  plumage. 

The  Chichigua  I  found  shy  and  retiring  in  habits,  frequenting 
low  thick  underbrush.  Often  noted  feeding  on  fruits  and  again  on 
the  ground  scratching  among  the  dead  leaves  after  insects. 

27.  Loximitris    dominicensis    (Bryant^.      Nine   specimens  of 
this   rare   bird   were  secured  at  Aguacate  and    Catare.      It    was    not 
noted  in  other  localities.      Adult  males  and  females,  and  immature  of 
both  sexes,  are  represented  in  the  nine  examples  before  me. 

The  adult  female  has  the  head  and  back  dull  olive,  lightly  mot- 
tled with  dusky  brownish,  the  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  are  a  little 
brighter  olive  and  without  any  mottling.  The  quills  are  all  narrowly 
margined  with  bright  olive  yellow.  The  greater,  middle  and  lesser 
coverts  are  margined  with  the  dull  olive  of  the  back;  but  the  greater 
and  middle  coverts  are  also  broadly  tipped  with  light  olive  yellow, 
forming  two  distinct  wing  bands.  All  the  rectrices  are  blackish 
brown,  narrowly  margined  with  yellowish  on  the  inner  webs. 

Below  the  throat,  upper  breast  and  sides  is  dusky  olive  gray, 
belly  and  crissum  whitish,  and  all  mottled  with  blackish  brown  shaft 
streakings.  Under  tail  coverts  broadly  marked  with  blackish  shaft 
streaks. 

Immature  males  and  females  are  similar  to  adult  females,  but 
brighter  olive  (yellow)  above  and  decidedly  yellowish,  or  yellowish 
olive,  in  place  of  grayish  or  whitish  below. 

28.  Euetheia  lepida  (Jacq.}.     JUANA  MARUCA — Tolerably  com- 
mon, especially  near  the  coast.     Observed  at  all  points  visited  except 
Honduras. 

29.  Euetheia     bicolor     (Linn.}.       JUANA    MARUCA — Common. 
Seen  and  collected  at  all  the  localities  that  I  passed  through. 

30.  Icterus    dominicensis    (Linn.}.      SIGUA     CANARIA — Quite 
common,  but  not  found  in  the  forest  districts  except  where  there  has 
been   considerable   clearing,   and   is   most   abundant  in  the  savannas. 
Males  and  females  are  alike  in  plumage  and  both  sing.      One  individ- 
ual that  I  secured,  while  but  slightly  wounded,  gave  a  splendid  exhi- 
bition of  its  power  of  song  as  a  result  of,  or  under  the  influence  of, 


MAR.  1896.      ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO — CHERRIE.  17 

excitement  and  pain.  A  native  boy  I  had  with  me  begged  to  have 
the  bird,  and  for  several  hours,  while  he  was  carrying  it  in  his  hand, 
the  little  creature  sang  almost  continuously.* 

This  species  is  frequently  kept  as  a  cage  bird. 

In  the  series  of  forty-eight  skins  secured  there  are  twenty-seven 
males  and  twenty-one  females;  twenty-eight  are  in  the  black  plumage 
of  the  fully  adult  bird,  the  remainder  are  in  mixed  plumage. 

31.  Quiscalus    niger    (Bodd.}.       CHINCHILING — Comparatively 
few  birds  of   this   species  were  seen.      Only  thirteen  specimens  were 
collected,  all  coming  from  three  localities,  Catare,  Aguacate  and  San 
Domingo  City.      None  were  seen  at  the  other  localities  visited.     The 
eye  is  light  straw  yellow. 

32.  Corvus      leucognaphalus     Daud.        CUERVO — The    rela- 
tive scarcity  or  abundance   of  this   species  in   any   locality  depends 
chiefly  on  the  season  and  on  the  ripening  of  certain  fruits  on  which 
they  feed.      Immense  flocks  are  found  together.      They  are  very  noisy, 
but  the  call  note  is  very  different  from  anything  I  have  heard  before. 
The  flesh  is  good  eating,  having  a'  very  pleasant  flavor,  much   like 
that  of  certain  species  of  wild  pigeons. 

The  eye  in  some  examples  I  found  to  be  light  red  brown,  and  in 
others  a  bright  orange  red. 

33.  Corvus    solitarius    Wurt.       CAO — Seen     only    at    Maniel, 
where  great  noisy  flocks  were  found  together.      The  cry  differs  some- 
what from   that   of  the   preceding  species,    and  resembles   more  the 
chattering  of  some  species  of  parrots. 

34.  Elainia  cherriei   Cory\ — Only  three  specimens  of  this  new 
flycatcher  were    secured.      The    type,  a    male,  was    taken    at    Catare 
January  31,  and  two  females,  taken  higher  up  in  the  mountains,  at 
Aguacate,  on  the  22d  and  2yth  of  February  respectively. 

The  female  is  exactly  similar  to  the  male. 

No  individuals  were  seen  except  the  three  that  were  collected. 

35.  Pitangus     gabbii     Lawr. — Only  one  specimen   collected. 
Taken  at  Honduras,  April  2.      Not  noted  at  other  points. 

Bill,  legs  and  feet  black;  eye  dusky. 

36.  Blacicus    hispaniolensis     (Bryant.'] — Pound     distributed 
in  all  the  localities  visited  by  me,  but  far  more  common   high   up  in 

*Mr.  Chapman,  in  his  "  Notes  on  Birds  and  Mammals,  Observed  near  Trinidad,  Cuba,"  gives  a 
similar  instance  of  "song  as  a  result  of  excitement"  in  the  case  of  Icterus  hypomelas.  Bull. 
Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  Vol.  IV,  No.  i,  p.  306. 

tAuk,  Vol.  XII,  1895,  p.  279. 


18  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.  i. 

the  mountains  than  down  near  the  coast.  Frequents  the  low  scrub 
timber;  seldom  seen  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  from  the  ground. 
Sometimes  found  deep  in  the  dark  forest  and  again  in  the  low  trees 
far  out  on  the  savannas. 

37.  Myiarchus    dominicensis    Bryant.        MANUELITA;     CABE- 
SON — Tolerably    common.       Observed    in    all    the    localities    visited, 
but  most    common    near    the    coast.      Fifty-three    specimens    were 
secured. 

38.  Tyrannus      dominicensis    (Gmel.).       PE-TIGRE — Twenty- 
three  specimens  were  collected.      Apparently  not  common. 

39.  Antrostomus    carolinensis    (Gm.~).     QUIERO-BEBER;    QUE- 
RE-BE-BE.  —  Only   one    specimen  collected,   Catare,    February    3,   but 
often  heard  on  clear  evenings. 

40.  Chaetura   zonaris    (Shaw). — One    specimen   was    taken  at 
San  Domingo  City.      Great  flocks  were  often  observed  sailing  about, 
especially  toward  dusk,  but  ordinarily  they  were  out  of  range.      This 
is,   I  believe,   the  first  record  of  a  specimen   of   this   species  having 
been  actually  taken  in  San  Domingo. 

41.  Lampornis  dominicus  (Linn.}.    ZUMBADOR,  DOCTOR  BIRD — 
Tolerably  common  at  all  localities  visited. 

42.  Mellisuga     minima    (Linn.}.       ZUMBADORCITO  —  Common 
enough  but  very  difficult  to  collect.      In  the  first  place,  one  is  shoot- 
ing at  an  exeedingly  small  mark,  and  next,  if  your  bird  does  fall,  the 
chances  are  greatly  against  your  finding  the  little  bunch  of  feathers 
amid  the  thicket  of  leaves  in  the  dense  undergrowth  that  everywhere 
covers  the  ground.     Both  the  male  and  female   "sing,"  their  favorite 
resort  for  this  performance  seeming  to  be  the  topmost  branch  of  some 
dead  leafless  tree-top,  where,   for  long  intervals,   the  birds  may  be 
seen  and  heard.      The  head  seems  to  be  thrown  back  and  turned  from 
side  to  side,  with  a  rather  short,  quick  jerky  movement  as  the  sharp, 
high-pitched    "cheep-cheep-cheep"   notes  are  uttered  in  quick  suc- 
cession. 

43.  Sporadinus    elegans    (Vieill.}.     ZUMBADOR — This    species 
of  humming  bird  was   not   common,  and  was   only  observed  in  two 
localities,  Catare  and  Aguacate.      I  collected  sixteen  specimens.     All 
were  taken  in  the  darkest  parts  of  the  forest,  low  down,  from  six  to 
ten  feet  from  the  ground.      The  two  foregoing  species  seem   to  like 


^!AR.  1896.     ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO — CHERRIE.  19 

bright  sunshine  and  high  up  at  the  edges  of  clearings  or  in  the  open. 
But  the  present  species  was  not  once  seen  beyond  the  confines  of 
the  endless  shade  of  the  thick  forest. 

44.  Temnotrogon    roseigaster   (Vietll.).      CALANDRE — I    only 
found  the   San  Domingo  Trogon   in   one   locality,  Aguacate.      These 
eight  specimens  were  collected  high  up  in  the  mountains;  all  are  adult. 

45.  Crotophaga  ani  Linn.     JUDIO — Common. 

46.  Saurothera    dominicensis    Lafr.       BOBO. — One    of     the 
most  abundant  and  conspicuous  of  the  birds  of  San  Domingo,  found 
everywhere  from  the  coast  to  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  and  appar- 
ently as   common  in  one  locality  as   in  another.      Eighty  specimens 
were  collected,  with  examples  from  all  the  points  visited. 

47.  Coccyzus    americanus    (Linn.) — This    is,    I    believe,    the 
first  record  of  the  finding  of  the  yellow-billed  Cuckoo  in  San  Domingo. 
It  is  probably  not  a  permanent  resident,  as  no  individuals  were  seen  or 
heard  until   the  first  of  May,  when  it  suddenly  became  common   at 
Santo  Domingo  City.      Here,  in  three  days,  the  2d,  3d  and  4th  of  May, 
I  collected  ten  specimens,  five  males  and  five  females.      While  I  can 
not  consider  the  bird  a  resident,  it  is  somewhat  curious  that  in  all  of 
the  females  collected  the  ovaries  were  considerably  enlarged  and  the 
oviduct   more  or  less   swollen,  while   in   one  example  I  took  an  egg 
from  the  oviduct  that  would  have  been  deposited  in  one  or  two  days! 
Evidently  C.   americanus  breeds  in  San  Domingo,  but  do  birds  that 
breed  here  ever  come  as  far  north  as  the  United  States? 

48.  Coccyzus    minor  (Gmel.).     MONTERO — This    bird    is    only 
tolerably  common  in  the  coast  district,  while  back   in   the   interior   I 
did  not  meet  with  it  above  an  altitude  of  between  six  and  eight  hun- 
dred feet. 

49.  Hyetornis  fieldi*  Cory. — Five  specimens  of  this  handsome 
new    cuckoo    were  collected;    two    came  from    Honduras    and  three 
from  Maniel.    It  was  not  observed  in  any  other  locality.    I  was  unable 
to  make  any  notes  in  regard  to  the  habits  of  the  new  bird,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  on  the  three  occasions  on  which  individuals  were  seen, 
and  when  the  five  examples  were  secured,  I  was  kept  out  of   breath 
tearing  through  the  underbrush  trying  to  keep  my  bird  in  sight.     But 
in  manner  of  flight  and  in  the  peculiar  way  of  running  along  the  limbs 
of  the  trees,  where  it  alights,  one  is  impressed  with  the  similarity  to 

* Hyetornis  fieldi  sp.  nov.    Cory,    Auk.,  Vol.  XII,  1895,  p.  278. 


20  FIELD  COLUMBIAN   MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.    i. 

- 

Piaya  cayana  mehleri  of  Central  America,  where  the  latter  bird  is 
known  as  Pajaro  Ardilla  (squirrel  bird).  From  my  note  book,  under 
date  of  March  29,  being  the  first  morning  I  had  met  with  H.  fieldi,  I 
take  the  following  observation:  The  notes  or  call  is  very  different 
from  that  of  any  of  the  cuckoos  with  which  I  am  familiar,  and  I  can 
only  liken  it  to  the  croaking  of  some  hoarse  frog. 

In  fresh  specimens  the  maxilla  and  point  of  the  mandible  is 
black;  eye  dusky;  feet,  legs  and  basal  part  of  mandible  plumbeous. 

The  females  seem  to  average  a  little  larger  than  the  males  as 
indicated  by  the  measurements  of  the  five  specimens  given  here- 
with: 


Field  Museum 

Exposed 

Catalogue  No. 

Sex. 

Locality. 

Tail. 

Wing. 

Tarsus. 

Culmen. 

H36 

; 

Maniel,  S.  D. 

11.50 

7.25 

1.63 

1.70 

H39 

$ 

Honduras,  S.  D. 

10.50 

6.75 

1.65 

1.50 

1437* 

<J 

Maniel,  S.  D. 

10.50 

6.50 

1.50 

1.30 

1438 

$ 

Maniel,  S.  D. 

IO.OO 

6.25 

1.50 

1.30 

1440 

$ 

Honduras,  S.  D. 

10.25 

6.25 

i-33 

1.30 

All  the  species  of  cuckoos  found  in  San  Domingo  are  esteemed  a 
table  delicacy  by  the  natives,  and  for  the  sick  the  flesh  of  the  "  Bobo  " 
or  "  Mantero  "  is  a  sure  cure. 

50.  Ceryle  alcyon   (Linn.) — The    Belted    Kingfisher   was    fre- 
quently seen  along  the  water  courses  near  the  coast. 

51.  Todus  angustirostris  Lafr.     PAJARO  VERDE. — Quite  abun- 
dant, especially  at  points  visited  in  the  interior. 

52.  Todus     subulatus      Gould.       PAJARO   VERDE — This,    the 
larger  of  the   two   forms   of  Todies   in   San   Domingo,  is  even  more 
abundant  than  the  preceding  species,  and  is  more  evenly  distributed, 
apparently  being    equally    common   both  on    the    coast    and   in    the 
interior. 

With  both  species  the  food  appears  to  consist  exclusively  of  in- 
sects. The  prey  is  usually,  if  not  always,  taken  an  the  wing,  after 
the  manner  of  a  true  flycatcher.  Large  insects  are  held  in  the  bill, 
and  their  little  captor  hammers  its  victims  on  the  branch  chosen  for 
a  resting  place  until  the  legs  are  broken  off  and  the  hard  parts  of  the 
body  are  so  broken  up  as  to  not  interfere  with  swallowing. 

53.  Nesoctites  micromegas  (Sundev.).    CARPINTERO — Twenty- 
five    specimens    of    this    little    woodpecker    were    taken,    but    it    is 
far   from  being  a  common  species.      It  was    only    observed   at    San 

*Type. 


MAR.  1896.     ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO— CHERRIE.  21 

Domingo  City,  Catare  and  Aguacate.  While  not  particularly  watch- 
ful and  shy  the  inconspicuous  colors  and  somewhat  modest  and  retir- 
ing habits  and  notes  rarely  heard  render  this  one  of  the  least  noticeable 
of  San  Domingo's  woodland  birds.  In  actions  this  species  is  often 
very  like  some  of  the  warblers,  being  also  of  about  the  same  size.  It 
hops  along  the  limbs  and  explores  nooks  and  crevices  between  the 
branches  seemingly  to  prefer  being  right  side  up,  yet  when  occasion 
requires  it  will  be  seen  diligently  working  away  on  the  underside  of 
some  limb.  Sometimes  this  little  "carpenter"  would  be  seen  at  the 
very  tops  of  the  forest  trees,  where  I  could  only  identify  my  bird  by 
the  use  of  my  field  glasses,  and  again  I  would  find  him  hopping  about 
in  the  brushwood  a  few  inches  from  the  ground. 

In  freshly  killed  specimens  the  eye  is  sometimes  carmine,  some- 
times reddish  brown;  the  feet  and  legs  are  olive  plumbeous;  bill  dusky 
with  the  lower  mandible  plumbeous  at  the  base. 

54.  Chloronerpes  striatus  (Mull.].     CARPINTERO — One  of  the 
most  abundant  birds  in  San    Domingo,  equally  distributed    both  in 
the  mountainous  and  coast  districts.      This  species  was  the  subject  of 
many  complaints  from  the  natives,  from  the  country  people,   all   de- 
claring that  it  was  impossible  to  have  oranges  and   "  carpinteros  "  at 
the  same  time.      As  soon  as  the  oranges  show  the  least  sign  of  ripen- 
ing they  are  immediately  attacked  by  the  woodpeckers,  and  in  a  very 
short  time  there  is  nothing  remains  but  a  shrivelling,    "bloodless" 
orange  peel.      This  woodpecker  is  also  very  destructive  to  the  Royal 
Palm — a   fact  adding    greatly    to  his  already    bad   name — filling  the 
green  growing  trunk  so  full  of  holes  as  finally    to  cause    its  death. 
This  bird  seems  to  make  its  nest  by  preference  in  the  stems  of    the 
Royal  Palm,  and,  in  fact,  I  do  not  now  remember  having  seen  a  wood- 
pecker hole  in  any  other  species  of  tree  while  in  San  Domingo.      But 
in  addition  to  nesting  in  the  Royal  Palm,   a  great    many  holes    are 
drilled    apparently    without  any  view  toward  housekeeping,   or  cer- 
tainly with  no  other  object  than  filling  the  pantry.      C.  striatus    is  a 
sap  sucker  and  taps  the  Royal  Palm  for  his  beverage. 

The  eye  in  life  is  orange  yellow. 

55.  Conurus    chloropterus     (Souance}.       PERIQUITO — While 
from  the  accounts  of  the  natives  the  San  Domingo  Paroquet  must  at 
some  seasons  be  very  abundant,  yet  I   saw  very  few,    and  only  four 
specimens  were  taken.      It  is  gregarious  and  its  presence  or  absence 
at    any  particular  time  or  place  depends  probably  on  the  food  sup- 
ply, which  is  again  controlled  by  the  seasons  which  vary  much  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  island. 


22  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.    i. 

56.  Amazona  sallaei   (Sc/.).     COTORRO — The  presence  or   ab- 
sence of  this  species,  as  with  the  preceding,  in   particular  locality  or 
time  must  depend  chiefly,  if  not  wholly,  on  seasonal  changes  as  influenc- 
ing the  food  supply.      It  is  gregarious  and  very  noisy,  but  at  the  same 
time  very  watchful  and  only  approached  with  difficulty  and   extreme 
caution.      I  saw  several  flocks  that  must  have  contained  at  least  500 
individuals  each. 

This  species  is  quite  a  good  deal  sought  after  by  the  natives  for 
food. 

57.  Speotyto  cunicularia  dominicensis   Cory. — Tu-cu.      Only 
a    single    specimen    of    Burrowing    Owl    was    secured.       This    was 
taken  in  the  barren,  cacti-covered  region  aj^out  Honduras.      The  in- 
habitants informed  me  it  was  quite  common,  but  I  did  not  again  meet 
with  the  species. 

58.  Rupornis     ridgwayi     Cory.     GUARAGUAO  —  Although    no 
examples  were    secured    I    frequently    saw  this    hawk  sailing   about 
over  the  tree  tops  or  perched  on    some  inaccessible    crag  or    dead 
branch  in  the  mountains  or  along  the  streams. 

If  the  stories  of  the  natives  are  to  be  relied  upon  this  species  is  a 
great  chicken  thief. 

59.  Accipiter     fringilloides     Vig.       GUARAGUAO     DE    CIERRO; 
SAN  NICOLA;  HARPON — Among  the  natives  I  found  as  many  names  for 
this  handsome  little  hawk  as  I  secured  specimens.      I  learned  nothing 
regarding  the  habits  save  from  the  stomach  contents    of    my    three 
specimens,  which  indicated  a  somewhat  varied  taste,   parts  of   large 
insects,   small  lizard's  and  bird's  feet  and  feathers   being   mixed   to- 
gether. 

My  three  skins  include  an  adult  male  and  female  and  a  young 
male. 

The  bird  described  and  figured  by  Professor  Cory  in  his  "Birds 
of  Hayti  and  San  Domingo"  and  again  described  in  the  "Birds  of  the 
West  Indies,"  is  a  young  female.  The  adult  female  is  quite  different 
and  as  I  believe  no  detailed  description  of  the  adult  of  this  species 
has  appeared,  at  least  not  in  English  since  that  made  by  Mr.  Law- 
rence in  May,  1860  (Annals  of  the  New  York  Lyceum  of  Natural  His- 
tory) it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  here  append  the  descriptions  of  my 
specimens. 

Adult  female,  No.  1843,  Field  Columbian  Museum.  Honduras, 
San  Domingo,  W.  I.,  April  2,  1895:  Above  bluish  slate  color,  slightly 
darker  on  the  head.  Concealed  bases  of  feathers  of  the  back  not 


MAR.  1896.     ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO — CHERRIE.  23 

marked  with  white.  Tail  brownish  plumbeous  crossed  by  four,  not 
very  clearly  denned,  dusky  bands  (five  showing  on  the  outermost  pair 
of  rectrices)  and  narrowly  tipped  with  white.  The  primaries  and 
greater  wing  coverts  are  dusky  brownish  with  a  shading  of  slate  or 
plumbeous.  The  sides  of  the  head  (below  the  eye)  and  neck  are 
light  chestnut  brown  without  markings.  Chin  and  throat  whitish, 
with  a  very  light  shading  of  brownish  chestnut,  and  the  shafts  of  the 
feathers  dusky  brownish  or  blackish.  The  remaining  lower  parts  are 
white  transversely  marked  with  narrow  wood  brown  bands  on  the 
breast,  belly,  sides  of  body  and  tibias;  thickest  and  most  sharply  de- 
fined on  the  upper  breast,  becoming  farther  apart  and  less  distinct 
posteriorly,  finally  disappearing  on  the  crissum  and  under  tail  coverts, 
which  are  immaculate.  The  under  surface  of  the  wing  is  white  barred 
with  dusky  brown.  In  the  fresh  bird  the  bill  is  dusky  at  tip  and 
plumbeous  at  the  base;  cere,  legs  and  feet  olive  green;  eye  lemon  yel- 
low; claws  black. 

Wing,  7.10;  tail,  6.50;  tarsus,  2.00. 

Adult  male.  No.  1842,  Field  Columbian  Museum.  Honduras, 
San  Domingo,  W.  I.,  April  2,  1895.  Similar  to  the  female,  but  col- 
ors brighter,  and  the  transverse  banding  below  is  in  rather  bright 
chestnut  instead  of  wood  brown.  The  male  is  considerably  smaller, 
as  shown  by  the  following  measurements: 

Wing,  6.12;  tail,  5.40;  tarsus,  j.8o. 

Young  male.  No.  1841,  Field  Columbian  Museum.  Catare,  San 
Domingo,  W.  I.,  Feb.  6,  1895.  Above,  dusky  brownish,  the  feathers 
tipped  and  edged  with  russet.  Feathers  of  the  hind  neck  marked 
with  white  basally;  feathers  of  the  back  without  concealed  white  mark- 
ings. Sides  of  face  and  neck  buffy  brownish  streaked  with  dusky 
brownish  or  blackish  shaft  lines.  Chin  and  upper  throat  whitish  with 
a  slightly  buffy  shading  marked  with  dusky  brownish  shaft  lines. 
Remaining  lower  parts  white  marked  with  irregular  longitudinal  shaft 
streaks  of  a  dark  wood  brown  color,  and  that  becoming  narrower 
and  finally  obsolete  along  the  sides  and  lower  breast.  The  crissum 
and  under  tail  coverts  are  pure  white.  The  tibias  are  transversely 
barred  with  dusky  brownish. 

Wing,  5.85;  tail,  5.25;  tarsus,  1.80. 

60.  Falco  dominicensis  Gmel. — Individuals  probably  belong- 
ing to  this  species  were  frequently  seen  while  riding  over  the  savan- 
nas, but  none  were  collected. 

61.  Columba  leucocephala  Linn. — Immense  numbers  of   the 
White-headed  Pigeon  were  being  brought  into  the  markets  of  San 
Domingo  City  during  the  first  week  of  May. 


24  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.    i. 

62.  Columba    corensis     Gmel. — This    species    is    most    abun- 
dant in  the  mountainous  districts,  rarely,  if  ever,  descending  to    the 
coast.      It  is  the  largest  of    the  pigeons  found  on  the  island,   and    is 
much  sought  after  for  food;  but  from  being  constantly  hunted  it  has 
become  very  shy  and  difficult  to  approach. 

In  life  the  eyelids  and  eye  are  yellowish  orange  red;  base  of  bill, 
feet  and  legs  maroon. 

63.  Zenaidura  macroura  (Linn.}.    PALOMA  COLITA — The  Mourn- 
ing Dove  was  not  at  all  uncommon  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Cristobal, 
Honduras  and  Maniel. 

64.  Zenaida  zenaida  (Bonap.).   ROLON — This  handsome  species 
is  resident  and  quite  common  in  San  Domingo  in  the  coast  districts, 
but  I  believe  is  never  found  in  the  high  interior. 

65.  Melopelia    leucoptera(Z//z«.) —  I   secured  a  single  speci- 
men of  the  White-winged  Dove  high  up  in  the  mountains  at  the  top 
of  Mount  "La  Laguneta. "     Several    others    were  seen  in    the  same 
locality. 

66.  Columbigallina  passerina  (Linn.) — Quite   common,   espe- 
cially near  the  coast. 

67.  Geotrygon  montana    (Linn.) — Tolerably  common,   but  I 
never  met  with  "flocks,"  as  is  indicated  by  Professor  Cory,  in  "Birds 
of  Hayti  and  San  Domingo,"  p.    132.     Very  rarely  did  I  find  more 
than  two    together,    and   ordinarily   individuals   were    found  singly. 
It  is  more  abundant  in  the  higher  altitudes  and  rarely  met  with  near 
the  coast. 

68.  Geotrygon    martinica    (Gmel.) — I   saw    a  single    example 
of  this  beautiful  dove  that  had  been  killed  by  a    native  at  Aguacate. 
However,  as  the  bird  did  not  come  under  my  observation  until  after 
a  good  share  of  the  feathers  had  been  removed,    I  did  not  secure  a 
specimen. 

69.  Colinus    cubanensis    (Gundl.) — The    Cuban     Quail    was 
introduced  into  San  Domingo   by  an  American  sugar  planter  by   the 
name  of  Bass,  about  six  years  ago.      It    has  increased  very    rapidly, 
and  now  for  a  good  many  miles  around  San  Domingo  City  flocks  of 
from  ten  to  twenty-five  are  frequently  met  with. 

Unfortunately,  the  mongoose  has  been  imported  from  Jamaica 
and  it  is  probable  that  in  a  short  time  the  quail  will  succumb  to  this 
pest. 


MAR.  1896.     ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SAN  DOMINGO — CHERRIE.  25 

70.  QEdicnemus    dominicensis    Cory.     BOUKARA — Frequently 
met  with  in  the  houses  of  the  natives,  where  they  are  kept  to  destroy 
the  scorpions,  centipedes,  cockroaches,  etc. 

71.  /Egialitis    vocifera    (Linn.) — During     my    stay     in     San 
Domingo  I  found  the  Killdee  fairly  common  along  the  water  courses 
near  the  coast,  and  indeed  it  is  probably  a  resident  breeding  bird. 
The  ovaries  and  oviducts  of  specimens  taken  during  March  indicated 
that  the  birds  were  breeding  and  I  took  a  nearly  fully  developed  egg 
from  the  oviduct  of  one  killed  March  24. 

72.  Totanus   solitarius   (Wils.) — Met  with  on   two   occasions 
only,    March   16  and  April  27,    near  San  Domingo   City   along  the 
Ozama  River. 

73.  Actitis    macularia  (Linn.) — Noted    at    all    the  points  vis- 
ited, but  not  common. 

74.  Ardea  herodias  Linn. — Individuals  were  frequently  noted 
along  the  shores   of  the   Ozama  River,  near  San  Domingo  City,  but 
none  were  collected. 

75.  Ardea  cserulea  Linn. — Only  one  specimen  was  collected, 
but  it  is  not  uncommon  along  many  of  the  water  courses,  especially 
near  the  coast. 

76.  Ardea  virescens  Linn. — MARTINETE.   Quite  common  in  all 
suitable  localities. 

77.  Nycticorax  violacens  (Linn.) — Seen  on  several  occasions 
near  San  Domingo  City  on  the  Ozama  River. 

78.  Jacana  spinosa  (Linn.) — Quite  common   along  the  Ozama 
River.      Young  downy  birds  were   found  with  the  parents  April  26. 

In  freshly  killed  birds  the  shield,  spurs  and  bill  are  orange  yellow; 
base  of  maxilla  blue  gray;  eye  dusky;  feet  and  legs  dusky  olive. 

79.  Fulica  americana    Gmel. — Frequently  seen  near  the  river 
banks  and  along  the  lagoons. 

80.  Dendrocygna  arborea  (Linn.).     YAGUASA — This  is  a  resi- 
dent species  and  not  uncommon  in  some  localities. 


26  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.    i. 

81.  Pelecanus  fuscus    Linn. — Quite  a  good  many  were  seen 
in  the  bay  of  Samana,  but  not   noted   at  any  other  point  along   the 
coast. 

82.  Phaethon    flavirostris    Brandt.  —  Frequently    seen    along 
the  coast.      It  is  resident.     April  19  two  young  birds  and  an  adult 
female  were  brought  to  me  at  San  Domingo  City. 

83.  Podilymbus  podiceps    (Linn.} — One  specimen  was  taken 
on  the   Ozama  River,  near   San   Domingo  City,  April  26,  and  quite 
a  number  were  seen.      This  is,  I  believe,  the  first  record  of  this  species 
having  been  taken  in  San  Domingo  or  Hayti. 


